Voyage to Cythera (1984)

An old communist returns to Greece after 32 years in the Soviet Union. However, things aren't the way he had hoped for.

Director:

Theodoros Angelopoulos

Writers:

Theodoros Angelopoulos (screenplay), Thanassis Valtinos (screenplay)

Stars:

Manos Katrakis, Mairi Hronopoulou, Dionysis Papagiannopoulos

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Manos Katrakis	...	Spyros
Mairi Hronopoulou	...	Voula
Dionysis Papagiannopoulos	...	Antonis
Dora Volanaki	...	Katerina
Giulio Brogi	...	Alexandros (as Julio Brogi)
Giorgos Nezos	...	Panagiotis
Athinodoros Prousalis	...	Chief of Police
Mihalis Giannatos	...	Harbor Master
Vasilis Tsaglos	...	President of dockworkers
Despoina Geroulanou	...	Alexandros' wife
Akis Kareglis
Ahilleas Abazis
Eirini Koumarianou	...	Alexandros' maid
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Giannis Fyrios	...	Old man at casting
Tasos Saridis

Storyline

An old communist returns to Greece after 32 years in the Soviet Union. However, things aren't the way he had hoped for.

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Plot Keywords:

homecoming | exile | communism | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Part I of "A Trilogy of Silence".

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Quotes

Katerina: [on cheating] I often discover, with horror and relief, that I no longer believe in anything. At such times, I return to my body. It's the only thing that reminds me I'm alive.

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Connections

Referenced in O parthenofagos (1986)

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Soundtracks

Taxidi sta Kythira
Written by Eleni Karaindrou
Performed by Giorgos Dalaras

User Reviews

Deeply humanist, moving, while still keeping Angelopoulos' trademark complexity

One of Angelopoulos's most moving and accessible films (which is not to say it doesn't have a great deal of challenge and complexity).

A film director is searching for the right old man to cast in his movie (to play his father?). Suddenly an old man who is the director's father (or is he?) a political revolutionary and ex- patriot returns home to reclaim his place. But he is unwilling to sell his land to make way for a giant new construction project, making him hated amongst his neighbors who are anxious to get cash for their rocky soil.

Before long, the man is found to no longer have standing as a Greek citizen, and his placed on a raft off shore while the authorities figure out to do with him.

Beautiful, poetic, ironically, darkly funny, absurd, and very touching film about old wounds, aging, and obsolescence, both on a human and national scale.

Details

Country:

Greece West Germany Italy UK

Language:

Greek English

Release Date:

21 April 1984 (Greece)

Also Known As:

Voyage à Cythère

Company Credits

Production Co:

Greek Film Center, Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF), RAI Radiotelevisione Italiana

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1